


bittersweet

by orphan_account



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, But he's there - Freeform, Fluff, Kissing, Lee Minho | Lee Know-centric, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, Romance, felix barely shows up sorry, hyunsung if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:00:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28090557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Kim Seungmin was almost Lee Minho's everything until the end.Almost.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Kim Seungmin/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 3
Kudos: 81





	bittersweet

**Author's Note:**

> hello! coming here to tell you rn some of the trigger warnings here!  
> (!spoilers)  
> — there is a scene where seungmin opens up about past abuse, however i do not get into detail with it. if the mentions of it makes you uncomfy though, please don't read!
> 
> that's all. enjoy! or not. u decide :^)

Kim Seungmin was Minho’s everything.

He was Minho’s everything when he woke up, when he ate, when he went to school, until the day would stretch to night, before he slept, Kim Seungmin was his everything.

Seungmin’s smiles, his little antics, the sweater paws he’d unconsciously have as he caressed Minho’s leg to seek for comfort, his squished cheeks whenever he’d wear a scarf and how his eyes would sparkle as he watches Minho dance every weekend.

Seungmin was Minho’s everything.

Or, atleast, he was once Minho’s everything.

“What’s your favorite season?”

Minho and Seungmin walked side by side with their fingers intertwined, inhaling the sweet smell of nature surrounding them. Below their feet would be the crunching of dead leaves fallen from the towering trees surrounding them, the path barely visible from all the leaves surrounding it.

Minho turns to Seungmin, eyes hazed as he tries to come up with an answer. Instead, he stares at the younger for a few seconds, lost in the boy’s eyes. “Winter.”

Seungmin hums, “Why?” He asks once more, huddling nearer to Minho as if it were possible to be closer than they already are.

“Because,” Minho pauses, feeling Seungmin’s warm breaths brush against his skin. His signature strawberry scent embraced the wind surrounding them, Minho feeling more addicted than ever. “We get to cuddle, be in each other’s embrace and warmth.”

“We do that all the time, though?”

“It’s better when it’s cold.” Minho uses his free hand to tame the wild hair strand that hand sticked up from the rest of Seungmin’s hair, “And I get to see you tucked in fluffy cold wear, the scarf around your neck making your cheeks look extra squishy. Then I get to feel how warm you are, in contrast to the atmosphere around us.”

“Deep.” Seungmin giggles, and Minho doesn’t miss how a blush creeps onto his cheeks, making the older smile fondly. “I personally like summer, I get to see you failing your exams just before summer break and the pout you put on right after.”

With that, Minho chokes, making Seungmin laugh wildly, clutching his stomach as he watches Minho try to recover from the red state he was in. “Let’s break up.” Minho said with no malice. Seungmin only laughed harder at that, kissing Minho’s cheek as an apology.

Seungmin, being Seungmin, was forgiven by the end of the day. Not before Minho aggressively kisses him that day, though.

* * *

  
  


“What about these?” Jisung brings up a light blue sweater, an orange kitten knitted on it by Minho's grandmother. “You bringing it with you?”

Minho turns, eyeing the sweater nonchalantly, “No. Throw it away.”

“Harsh.” Jisung mumbles. He doesn’t throw it away though, instead gently folding it and putting it to the side. “Can I take it, then?”

Minho sighs. “Do whatever you want.” He says before going back to packing his stuff. “It’s uncomfortable though.”

Jisung stares at it, “It looks soft.” He mutters, reaching out to caress the fabric. “It _is_ soft.”

Minho doesn't utter another word, closing his first bag after he had filled it with his first needs. He tossed it to the side, opening another bag. “It’s uncomfortable because the person who used it is…” He doesn’t finish his sentence, though, knowing Jisung got the message.

Jisung lets out a soft _oh,_ backing away his hand from the piece of clothing. He starts rummaging through the rest of the pile of clothes, looking for anything Minho might want to bring to his trip, just as he was instructed to do. Or, atleast, that was why he came here. 

Jisung no longer pushes the topic about the sweater, knowing it’s a topic Minho didn’t want to approach. Instead, he covers the sweater with a bunch of useless or ripped up clothing, making it impossible to view.

“I’ve never spoken to him ever since he left.” Jisung states after he had successfully gone through the pile of clothes. What did Minho need so much clothes for, anyway? “Like, what did I have to do with it that he had to avoid me as well?” Jisung tried to be rational with his choice of wording, first by avoiding stating the name of the boy they were talking about and second by trying to contain his emotions.

Though, everyone knew Jisung was like a transparent glass of water, with everyone around him seeing the content of what was within his water. Either it be anger, sadness, happiness— everyone saw right through him, especially Minho, who’s known him since birth.

Jisung didn’t expect Minho to turn around with apologetic eyes, expression genuine and laced with remorse. “I’m sorry.” Minho lets out, and for the first time in a while, Jisung sees how various emotions burst within Minho, all pointing to the rising downheartedness he was starting to show. “None of it was your fault. You shouldn’t have been a part of it. If only I- then he would’ve still been talking to you and... I’m so sorry.”

Jisung, now regretting his words, shakes his head rapidly, rushing towards Minho to hug the older. Only then does Jisung feel Minho sob uncontrollably, making Jisung feel a pinch in his heart. Minho rarely showed hints of sadness ever since, but you could only bottle what you truly felt so much. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. You matter to me most, if he hurt you then I wouldn’t want to be associated with him.”

Jisung leans back, frowning when he sees the way Minho lowered his head, probably ashamed of the burst of emotions. “I just felt betrayed, I guess. No proper closure, after all those years of friendship I just thought… but even if he returned, I just want to close things with him, I wouldn’t want to be associated with him anymore. Not when he was the reason for your pain.”

Minho still had his head down, but Jisung doesn’t miss the genuinity with his touch when the older laces his hand with Jisung’s rubbing it lightly. Jisung smiles, playing with Minho’s hair. 

“You matter to me. So much at that.”

Minho knew that.

They both knew it. The atmosphere between them, how Jisung was the only one feeling _it._

Neither of them spoke about it though, too scared to end up the same way Minho and Seungmin did.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Pastel colors suit you.”

Minho turns to Seungmin, eyes half lidded having been woken up just last minute. “Yeah?”

Seungmin chuckles warmly at the sight of Minho with disheveled hair, trying to keep his eyes open. “Yeah. Like a little teddy bear.”

“Am I cute like a teddy bear too?” Minho pokes his cheek, giving in and closing his eyes although he was awake.

“Even cuter.” Seungmin replies. He grabs Minho by the arm, gently making the older boy sit. Minho grunts, complaining about how it was ‘too early to be alive’, “It’s nine in the morning, you have classes at 10:30. Get up.”

Although against the idea of going to class, Minho obliges with a pout. Sometimes, he was glad Seungmin knew his schedule more than he did. Other times, he was upset that it meant he couldn’t skip classes like he used to.

Though, deep inside, Minho was glad they were bringing each other up. His parents, of course, liked Seungmin for this particular reason. Seungmin was diligent, well mannered, and one of the top students in all his classes. Minho didn’t know what he did to deserve this boy that is Kim Seungmin.

Though, the day Minho voiced out his thoughts about how he was a reckless student and Seungmin was the school’s role model and how they really didn’t fit, Seungmin frowned at him. “I really don’t deserve _you_ , more than anything.” Seungmin avoids Minho’s gaze, and Minho knows why. Both of them were never really good at opening up and transforming their feelings into words, although ever since they’ve met, it was slowly progressing. “You’re talented and so carefree… I wish I had your way of thinking. Just free, always having fun yet still logical.”

The one thing they differed from, because while Minho was the type to receive what he was given and deal with it Seungmin was more on the type to plan what he'd do for his entire weekend. “I never got the chance to do that,” Seungmin mutters, barely audible if it wasn’t for Minho being so close to him. “To be able to express myself without my doubts holding me back. You helped me with that, you know? To be more open when it came to unplanned opportunities that wouldn’t exactly benefit my future but would make me happy. It’s what got me to singing.”

Minho smiles at that, never really knowing how much he’d done for Seungmin. “Want to see how much more carefree I can be when I start dancing?”

Seungmin stares at him questionably, following the older with his gaze as Minho stood up to pick a song from his playlist. An upbeat song started to fill the room, the vibrating of each beat running through the floor.

“Dance with me?” Minho offers, holding a hand out.

“Oh, oh no I-” Seungmin blinks, “I can’t dance.”

Minho snorts. “Sure.” He disregards the comment, dragging Seungmin to his feet, making the younger gasp. “I know you can dance.”

“I can’t-” Seungmin couldn’t finish when Minho drags him nearer to the center of the room, dancing the choreography of BTS’ Fire as it roared through the little corners of the dance room. For a while, Seungmin only stood there and watched Minho move to the song’s accords, before recognizing the song and lightly dancing along. “Oh, I know this song.”

“I know you do.” Minho says with a smirk, still dancing and mouthing the lyrics of the song.

Seungmin grins, joining Minho as their chanting of the lyrics become more and more louder, and before they knew it, both of them were aggressively yelling out to the lyrics and dancing the choreography with all their might, both of them laughing hard in between the lyrics.

At some point, Minho stops yelling out the lyrics to see how energetic Seungmin was, making him chortle. Seungmin can dance, he knew it with how Seungmin would dance along to a song he was playing. Of course, he wasn’t like Minho who was taking dance classes, but despite being self taught Seungmin was a natural, his moves fluid and filled with emotions much like his voice whenever he sang.

The song ended, and before they knew it, they were dancing to the elegance of movements in Spring Day, then DNA, and Blood Sweat and Tears.

A little after four songs Seungmin plops to the ground, watching as Minho continues to dance to Blackpink’s As If It’s Your Last, cheering his boyfriend on.

After two more songs, Minho lies down next to Seungmin with heavy breaths, EXO’s Love Shot playing in the background.

It started with one giggle, until the two of them laughed and before they knew it, they were nearing each other’s faces, looking at each other in the eyes.

Seungmin stole a one second kiss from Minho first as a tease, eyes full of mischief. Minho, expecting it to be longer pouted, yet laughed as he saw the playfulness in Seungmin’s expression. “Is the atmosphere a bit different or is it because Love Shot’s playing in the background?”

“Both.” Seungmin smiles, closing the gap between them once more as they exchanged kisses, Seungmin’s hands sneaking up to Minho’s hair as he played with it in between their kisses and Minho’s hands lacing around the younger’s slim waist.

They spent the night in each other’s touch once again, not minding even if Twice’s TT and My Little Pony’s theme song started playing in the background. “Why do you have MLP’s theme song in your playlist?” Seungmin complains in between their kisses, claiming it ruined the mood. Nonetheless, they kept going on for the night, until both of them dropped on the ground, breaths still heavy.

* * *

  
  


“I’m going to miss you.”

Minho turns back to Jisung, a faint smile on his face. “I’ll miss you too,” He looked around the airport, observing its details as he tried to avoid Jisung’s gaze. “But you know I can’t stay here.”

Jisung smiles sadly, looking down. “I know.” He whispers. He hugs Minho for the 20th time that day, “It’s just… things aren’t going to be the same. Hyunjin will miss you too.”

“That boy never liked me and you know it.” Minho laughs. “Like, a cat dog relationship we had going between us.”

“Nah, he cares.” Jisung says, “He’s just stubborn, we almost had a fist fight the first time we met, too.”

“Hmm.” Minho hums, looking around to search for his parents. “At least he can rent the last dance room all to himself now.”

Jisung chuckles at that, bowing to Minho’s parents when they arrived. “Ah, Han Jisung.” Minho’s mother states with a gentle smile, “How’s Yeojin been?” Han Yeojin, Jisung’s mother.

“More than great.” Jisung states with a grin. “She told me to say hi to you when we meet.”

Mrs. Lee cackles, “Tell her I say hi back, then.”

Jisung maintains the polite smile he’s been wearing when he shakes hands with Mr. Lee, Minho’s father, exchanging some words of short talk and finally to Minho.

“Tell me how Australia treats you, yeah?” Jisung says, although his voice falters, trying to hold in his tears. “Don’t forget about me.”

“We’ll be facetime a lot, Sung. Don’t worry.” Minho replies, patting Jisung’s hair. “Don’t miss me too much.”

“I’ll try!” Jisung yells before Minho has to walk to his plane, waving at each other furiously. “Buy me stuff!”

“I’ll buy you one candy!” Minho laughs when he hears Jisung retort behind him, running to his parents as they prepare to board.

* * *

  
  


Minho and Seungmin were perfect.

Almost.

Minho saw Seungmin in all his futures. Either it be he becomes an accountant, Seungmin’s there cheering him on in tough days. If he succeeds in having a career as a dancer, Seungmin will be there as he introduces Seungmin as his boyfriend. If he somehow finds some difficulties in trying to achieve one of these, Seungmin would be there whenever it got frustrating. Seungmin would be there as Minho would be for him too.

In all the possible visions of the future, Minho didn’t see one where he wasn’t with Seungmin, and he thought he never had to.

_Thought._

Somehow, college treated them worse than senior high school already had, just when they thought it couldn’t get any worse. The minute Seungmin stepped a foot in college like Minho because of their one year gap, they barely had time for each other.

Albeit it was discouraging, Minho never really thought that things changed. Seungmin was still his boyfriend, they just had to work on themselves first. They contacted each other at least twice a week, physically if they had the chance or if one of them didn’t fall asleep in between calls due to exhaustion.

Attending different universities didn’t help much, either. It just so happened that Seungmin’s university offered better for his course, just as Minho’s university did. It was just that they barely saw each other.

But, again, Minho never thought anything changed. That was, until this one particular phone call.

_“Things haven't been the same way they used to, have they?”_

Minho’s eyebrows scrunch together in confusion of the line, not quite expecting that from the younger. “What?” The other line was silent, making Minho continue. “Of course they haven’t. We’re college students now, the last few years of being a student before we have to feed our own mouths. It’s only normal that we start giving more time to focus on our academic state.”

For a few seconds, the other line was silent once again. _“So you don’t think anything’s different now?”_

“No?” Deep down, Minho felt his nervousness bubble, thinking about the other meanings to Seungmin’s words. “What difference would there be?”

_“Relationships don’t work out in college, Minho. Especially not when we’re in different universities.”_

Minho could no longer hold his emotions back, breaths getting more and more heavier each second as his vision went hazy. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

 _“I think…”_ Seungmin stops for a while, a hint of apologetic mixture in his tone. _“I don’t think this will work out for us.”_

“Seungmin what do you _mean_ ?” Minho’s emotions filled him up as the time went by, now feeling furious all of the sudden. “So, what, you’re just going to end this? End _us_? Through a fucking phone call?”

It was silent. “Answer me, Kim Seungmin.”

_“Yes.”_

Minho didn’t know what to say.

Now that he thinks about it, he never said anything.

He ended the call, blocked Seungmin from every media social for the two of them to communicate in, deactivated his accounts and just like that, they were over.

With no detailed plan in mind, Minho grabbed his coat and bursted out of the house. He needed air. 

He ran. He didn’t know where he was headed, but he ran. He ran to feel something, anything. The wind was harshly hitting against the skin of his face, reminding him of Seungmin’s warm and gentle breaths whenever he’d huddle near him.

Only this was _not_ Seungmin’s gentle breaths. They weren’t warm nor were they even alive. They were freezing and merciless, not quite under anyone’s control. Still, Minho ran through whatever land was before him and what he could step on he kept going.

It wasn’t until he noticed a drop of snow before him, that turned to three and six, until it was snowing from everywhere he turned that Minho noticed the tears running through his cheeks, and only when he stopped did he start sobbing, letting out the emotions that was bottling up within him.

Minho hated winter. More than anything in his entire life.

* * *

  
  


Granted, the plane ride was more emotional than Minho thought it would be.

The first thing Minho sees as he wakes up are texts from Jisung and Hyunjin. Vision still blurry, Minho decides to press on a random contact, and it happens to be Jisung.

_[1:32 AM]_

**Sungie**

minho?

youre probably asleep rn huh

perfect timing then haha

i like you

like, a lot

Jisung probably saw Minho as he saw his message, as Minho watched as the three circles went up and down beside Jisung’s contact photo, indicating Jisung was typing.

_[1:45 AM]_

**Sungie**

but its ok

im moving on

your stay at australia is for the best

youre right, u cant stay here

both for me and for you

i’ll heal while ure over there

we both will

ik ure still not over seungmin

nows the perfect time, ok?

love u

literally

but as a friend now

bcs im learning to move on :^)

have a safe flight minho

Much similar to how Minho had felt in 2019’s first snowfall, hot tears started filling up in his eyes, spilling as let out a silent whimper.

  
Everything was so fucked up.

It made Minho wonder, if he had picked Jisung from the start, would there have been a better present for the both of them? If Seungmin wasn’t part of the picture, would that have been better?

Tears still in his eyes, he presses on Hyunin’s contact, hand hovering over the call button. The boy was probably asleep, anyway, Minho thought.

Only he wasn’t. Hyunjin answered quicker than he ever had, whereas he’d usually let it ring for a few seconds. Minho knew the younger did this on purpose to not seem ‘desperate.’ _“Minho?”_

“Hyunjin,” Minho whispers out in between his sobs, making sure to stay silent to not wake up his mother beside him nor the others in the plane. “Where’s Jisung?”

_“The- I- are you okay? You’re still in the plane, right?”_

“Hyunjin, where’s Jisung,” Minho was no longer asking at that point, voice desperate. “Please.”

_“He’s with me.”_ Hyunjin sighs in defeat from the other line. _“He’ll be fine, but please, tell him the truth gently.”_

“I will.” Minho’s words were barely audible. “Take care of him.”

Hyunjin hums before Minho ends the line, not feeling anything for the rest of the flight.

This trip was going to be the best for all of them.

Minho _leaving_ was going to be the best for all of them.

* * *

  
  
  


Australia was definitely not much different.

Well, it was. The behavior, the language, the food, and overall the way of living of the people around him, it wasn’t like what Minho was used to. At some point, having to comprehend english became too much, deciding to install this translator app that translates everything he says in korean to english and states it out loud.

In his new university, Minho met Jeongin, a cute freshman who _thankfully_ was also Korean, finally having some comfort while he was in a foreign country. Australia was beautiful, yet nothing can be as beautiful as the country you were raised in and the people you surround yourself with from the very start. Jeongin reminded him of where he belonged, and the stress of having to speak english was gone when he was with Jeongin.

“All I’m saying is,” Jeongin makes some random hand gestures up in the air, trying to prove a point. “Non plastic sporks should be more common. It reduces the use of plastic and it’s the best thing the Lord has brought onto this earth. I mean no. It’s made by humans but-”

“I get you.” Minho sips on his yogurt drink before continuing, “They’re pretty cool.”

“Yeah!” Jeongin smiles, the signature smile that has everyone wanting to do almost anything for him. He then brings up the spork he was previously using, stuffing his cheeks with food. “By the way,” Jeongin swallows his food in an instant, the thought he had been wanting to tell Minho has recovered. “My brother- well, half brother, still brother, is around your age. He asked if you two wanted to meet. Actually no, he didn’t. But I think you’ll love him. His name’s Chan, he’s from here and definitely better when it comes to english occurrences. You two have a lot in common like… like…”

Jeongin dozes off, making Minho snort. “Shh,” Jeongin looks at nowhere as he came up with a response, “Like… your mutual love for music!”

“Guess it’s in your blood?” Minho comments. “You love music too.”

Jeongin nods half mindedly. “Would you like to meet him, though?” Again, he brings up a spoon, or spork full of food to his mouth, chewing on it slower this time.

“Sure.” Minho replies almost too quickly. “Maybe he can teach me more english. This shit is hard.”

Jeongin chuckles, agreeing nonetheless.

Meeting Chan went smoother than Minho expected it to be. He thought it’d be awkward, first meetings and all, but Chan was actually naturally a social butterfly, not running out of topics. He was also good at making people feel free to express themselves, and while Minho was the type of guy to take some time in putting down his walls it had been brought down with Chan in an instant.

With Changbin, who he met through Chan, however, it was definitely a more zigzag of a process. Changbin seemed nice and friendly, and Minho wanted to trust him as fast as he trusted Chan, but it wasn’t that easy.

Over a span of seven months, the three of them started getting close, being around each other’s age. Jeongin complained about this to Minho once, saying “You’re starting to act just like them.”

“Just like what?” Minho asked, genuinely curious.

“Old.” Jeongin says, voice not laced with the tiniest hint of regret. “Just like them.”

“Listen here you little shit,” Changbin yelled from behind Minho with no malice, obviously lighthearted. Jeongin shrieks, starting to distance himself from Changbin while giggling. “I’m younger than Minho!”

Chan and Minho laughed as they watched the two argue over little things, “Want to grab some ice cream?” Chan asks as they realize those two were going to take a while. “It’s on me.”

“Yes please.” Minho smiles, letting himself get dragged by Chan as the older excitedly runs towards his ‘favorite ice cream place nearby’ with Minho’s hand wrapped with Chan’s fingers. “They have the best bubblegum ice cream.” Chan exclaims cheerily, making Minho chuckle. He was convinced.

They both ordered bubblegum ice, as according to Chan, they have the best of those. Chan did most of the speaking, and Minho couldn’t help but to be mesmerized with his accent.

Hearing Chan speak was nice.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?” Chan grins as the two of them sit in one of the free benches, looking sure of himself. Minho nods, licking his ice cream. “I’ve been eating my ice cream here ever since I was a child. I’ve eaten ice cream in many places, but this has to be the best one.” 

Minho smiles once more, hand reaching out to Chan’s unconsciously. “It’s good.” Minho comments, not noticing the redness of the tips of Chan’s ears and the blush that had crept up to his cheeks. “Thanks for buying me one.”

“It’s good.” Chan quickly brushes off taking a bite of his ice cream and chewing it. Minho glares at him, making Chan laugh. “What made you transfer to Australia, anyway?”

Minho froze at the question, and Chan seems to notice this as he immediately takes back his words. “Hey, you don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable. I spoke out of my ass.”

“Nah, it’s good.” Minho brushes it off, although the way he fiddled with his fingers nervously said otherwise. “Uh, well, it’s better for my mental health and for the mental health of the people around me back in Korea, I guess. Shit just went down event after event, first I got dumped by a boy I really loved then my best friend confessed to me while I was on my plane here.” Minho takes in a breath, licking his ice cream. “I guess I just wanted to cool off for a bit, but not there, when everything reminded me of him. And it’s best for my friend as well, since I won’t be able to return the feelings he offered me. He deserves someone who can love him the way he loves others.”

Minho observes the almost melted ice cream on his hands, “And, I guess, my parents had a business trip so I bit on the chance and studied here. I couldn’t really stay there or I never would’ve recovered even to this point.”

Chan rubs their still intertwined hands comfortingly, indicating that he was listening. “Do you feel better now that you’re here with new people, then?” He asks.

Minho thinks about it for a while before he cracks into a genuine grin. “Definitely.” He answers, leaning on Chan’s shoulder while trying to keep his ice cream balanced. “Things may never come back to the way they did back home, you know? Maybe the level of comfortableness has decreased between me and my friend by the time I get back there and maybe the wound from the boy I once gave my full self to might never heal, but I guess that’s just the takeaways of life.” Minho’s voice turns more into a mumble as he carries on. “But I’m getting better. And I’m open.”

Chan hums, “Open to what?”

“Open to new opportunities.” Minho makes sure to choose his words carefully, “New possibilities, new friendships… new relationships, lovewise.”

Chan nods at that before he even deciphers Minho’s words. Then, he turns to the younger after hearing the last bit of his sentence, and seeing that Minho was already looking at him without him even noticing told a part of Chan that the last bit was for _him_.

Chan beams, “Can I do the honor, then?”

Minho blinks, not wanting to be assuming. “Hm?”

“The honor of courting you,” Chan didn’t know where he got his newfound confidence, yet he carried on anyway. “The honor of finding all aspects of the new you, the current you.”

Only then did Minho smile ever so widely, and Chan noted never to forget about this smile. It was the most beautiful smile he’s ever seen. “I don’t see why not.”

They went back to Jeongin and Changbin that day with their hands laced, making the two pause, “You… married Minho?” Jeongin exclaims dramatically.

Chan rolls his eyes at that, making Minho giggle. “I’m literally only courting him.”

The rest of that day continued with Changbin and Jeongin’s series of questions, which Minho answered for the very red Chan, for the most part. Chan gets flustered easily. It was cute.

That almost concluded his stay in Australia before he had to go back, which he was sure he’d do with Chan, who wanted to fly back to seoul and get a job there after college instead of in Australia (that was mostly an excuse to stay with Minho for the rest of their lives, especially after Minho says yes to Chan’s offer of being his boyfriend. For the first time in a while, Minho feels his lips connected with another, yet this time it was soft, and it wasn’t from the person who had yet to have a proper closure with him.)

Almost.

Turns out, destiny worked in the most wicked ways, but thankfully, by the time Minho bumps into Kim Seungmin, he had almost fully recovered, and loving Chan was something genuine. It wasn't just to cover up his hole from his previous relationship. He loves Chan, just as much as he once loved Seungmin— maybe even more.

Minho didn’t know how it happened, but the both of them sat face to face to each other in a local coffee shop, and Seungmin’s order never changed. Minho brushes off nostalgic thoughts, deciding the Seungmin in front of him was someone he didn’t know anymore. No, definitely not, with how Seungmin was wearing more of a dark outfit when he said back then that he preferred pastel over black or gray colored outfits since it gave him more life, with how Seungmin’s hair was neatly brushed away from each other, revealing his forehead and making him look more formal. Seungmin changed a lot from the looks of it, definitely more mature than he ever was.

“So,” Minho says, not wanting to be there for far longer. “What are we- what am _I_ here for?”

Seungmin stares at him, the sternness and confident composure not leaving the younger for a second. Minho was almost intimidated, though he knew he probably gave off the same vibe. Throughout the years, Minho learned to be more confident, to be more strict and nonchalant looking, only ever warming up to people he already knew.

“I invited you to talk,” Seungmin replies plainly, and ganted, his tone was sharp. Minho couldn’t tell if he was mad or just emotionless, though he had no right to be angry at _Minho_ when it’s supposed to be the opposite. “The so-called closure we had years ago… I know it wasn’t enough. And that goes for the both of us.”

“Took you awhile to realize that.” Minho says sarcastically, making Seungmin sigh, now showing an emotion that Minho recognized as regretful.

“You blocked me everywhere,” Seungmin mutters. “I couldn’t find the chance to talk.”

“You had Jisung.” Minho hissed, glare boring holes on Seungmin. “Jisung, who waited for your message to him for so long, knowing he didn’t do anything to you and that you had no right to just dump your years of friendship out like that without proper closure. Or, like, is the word _proper closure_ in your dictionary at all?”

Seungmin stays silent, still looking down. “Look, if you’re here to give me shit excuses, then I’ve heard enough of it.” Minho continues after seconds of silence.

“No. I’m sorry.” Seungmin looks up, revealing the genuine look of regret in his eyes. “I was too stubborn, I’ll explain… I’ll explain everything.”

Minho doesn’t utter a word, letting Seungmin continue. Seungmin nervously fiddled on his drink as he spoke, “My parents… weren’t happy with my academic life, my 95s were dropping to 90 and my father would beat me up for it. My mother never defended me, although she pitied me she never got enough courage to fight for me.”

“My father thought you were the reason for it, saying you got in the way of my future and threatened to hurt you.” Seungmin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in before continuing, “I know it sounds ridiculous, cliche, even. But, uh, yeah. I feel like bitch to this day, which I probably am.”

Seungmin takes in a breath, much more stable this time, a genuine smile forming on his face. “Because my mother couldn’t fight back, we escaped, and we moved here. She had a job of her own, so we managed just fine. As of now she’s in a high position in her company and I’m happier here than I ever was.” He stares out the window, watching as passerbys went by. “I hope life started treating you better through the years, as well.”

Minho blinks, not knowing how to take in the story. Hesitantly, he reaches out to hold Seungmin’s hand, attempting to pull away when he saw how the younger flinched yet decided otherwise when Seungmin sent him a smile. “I’m sorry that happened to you.” Minho lets out gently, the rock that was once on his shoulders freeing from its spot, and now he feels more light, lighter than he had ever been his entire life. “And your story definitely wasn’t childish. You were so strong and I’m happy you’re at a better state in life now. I hope you don’t take this— the holding hands thing— in the wrong way though, I have a boyfriend now.”

Seungmin laughs, “Oh, no. I have one too.”

What were the odds? “Guess we just weren’t meant to be.” Minho says, yet it came out more of a joke than a bitter remark. In contrast to the tense atmosphere that had surrounded them earlier, now it was more friendly, and Minho had never felt so happy, so _relieved._ “Seungmin, we- we go way back. Way back from being lovers. We were friends.”

Seungmin hums, “And I just think that,” Minho points to their laced fingers, “We should get back to that duo. We’re powerful together, you know.”

Seungmin cackles at that, nodding continuously. “Ah, yes.” He beams, “The minmin duo.”

“Minmin?” Minho breaks out of their once intertwined fingers, expression forming disgust. “No. SeungHo.”

“MinSeung.”

“LeeKim.”

“SeungMin.”

“Now you’re just making this about yourself,” Minho fakes a grown, Seungmin laughing in front of him. “Hmm… 2min.”

“I love it.” Seungmin gives him a thumbs up of approval, the both of them spending the rest of the day catching up on each other’s lives, how Seungmin’s new boyfriend, Lee Felix, was a dancer and that maybe Minho and Felix could get along well, how Chan was logical like Seungmin and that they could get along well too, how Jisung confessed to Minho but is now in a relationship with Hyunjin.

“Hold up, _what_?” Seungmin makes Minho recall the last line, “Jisung and Hyunjin? Together?”

“Right.” Minho chuckles. “That was my reaction when I heard about it last week too.”

“Damn.” Seungmin leans back on his hair, looking absorbed with thoughts, “I missed on a lot. You think they’ll forgive me though?”

Minho smiles gently, “Jisung’s been waiting for your word ever since you left and Hyunjin tried to ask if I’ve heard from you last month. I can’t reassure you that they’ll forgive you, but I’m sure they’ll hear you out.”

Seungmin smiles at him, eyes hesitant before he leaned in for a hug, “I missed you.” He mumbles, the familiar warm breath Minho once used to long for as it hit against his skin.

“I did too.” Minho whispers back, not minding the uncomfortable position they were in as Seungmin tried to hug him from across the table and hugged the younger back.

Things go smoother than Minho had once again expected. Chan and Seungmin _did_ go along well, albeit Chan was a bit hesitant with trusting someone who hurt his boyfriend at first. Jeongin, not really knowing much, trusted Seungmin in an instant, being both singers. Changbin took a while to warm up as usual, yet at the end they became quite close.

It wasn’t until Chan and Minho graduated, until they were at the airport bidding their goodbyes to their friends and Chan and Jeongin’s long ‘goodbye brother talk’ along with Minho’s talk with his parents who decided to stay in Australia, until they were back in Korea, until Minho facetimed Seungmin instead of Jisung and Hyunjin now, until Jisung and Hyunjin learned to forgive Seungmin, until Chan got along with Seungmin and Hyunjin, and finally, until all eight of them found the time to be together for a few months despite their busy schedules did Minho realize what time really brought.

It was funny how little decisions can shift your life completely, or how huge decisions turn out to be useless ones.

Minho enters him and Chan’s apartment exhaustedly, an apartment they bought from the little income they had, being new at their jobs and all. For the past years, Minho had stopped dancing, but now he decided to pitch it into his job life, finally finding the fun in it again. He did it with Hyunjin, who he didn’t expect to change so much over the years. For the better.

“Hi.” Minho greets the older, who seemed dead on the bed, position like a corpse. Minho chuckles. “What’s with the position.”

Chan cracks his eyes open, “I was going to say I positioned myself this way because you bring me life, but I might now get my kisses.”

“Yeah, you won’t.” Minho giggles when he hears Chan’s plea. “Luckily you never said it.”

He said on top of the older, closing the space between them and feeling Chan’s soft lips against his. They were like that for a while, Chan’s arms going from his shoulder and elegantly down to his waist, with Minho’s in the same position, one hand on Chan’s cheek and the other supporting his weight on the bed below them, before pulling back, staring at each other lovingly.

“Love you.” Chan mumbles, Minho not being able to fight back the urge to trace his pretty heart shaped lips.

“Love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> honestly i didnt think this would end that way so i couldnt decide if i'd put minchan as the first ship first or 2min lol
> 
> but uhh yeah hope u enjoyed i wrote this while procrastinating


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